Secrets Behind Them
by JunoTwilightfan47
Summary: Melinda doesn't know how much danger her and her daughter, Maria-Annabelle, are when a new family move across the street, seeking for revenge...
1. Weird Dreams

**A/N: Hey, sup everyone? This is my first fanfiction that Im posting on , I'm so exited!!!!!!!!!!! Here is a better summary for this fic: Melinda and Jim moved to this town called Carleton Place years ago, basically so that Jim could become a doctor with Melinda, (yes, she's a doctor in this fic lol). They have one kid, named Maria-Annabelle, and new neighbours move onto the street, seeking for revenge, for some odd reason, againsts Melinda and Jim's daughter. **

**This book is the first book out of a trilogy, and if no one likes this one, I wont continue posting. You'll find its very different, this ff, from the others, im sure. Please Review, and please no harsh words. I worked really hard one these fics.**

**~Chapter One~**

Melinda Gordon-Clancy was walking down a dark alley.

At the end of it, was an elevator.

She did not know what the elevator meant, so she was trying to find out.

She walked slowly, hesitating from time to time, deciding if she should go on or not.

Finally, she reached the end.

She pressed on the down button.

Then, it opened. Melinda's daughter came out, all bloody.

-"Maria-Annabelle! Oh my god!"

-"I told you, not to go! You left me to die!" Maria yelled.

-"NO!" then, Melinda woke up, sweating.

Every single night since the day she came home from the hospital, she had the same, horrible dream.

She thinks it's a warning, to watch out for her daughter or herself.

Either way, she hoped that it would go away.

But, it has been ten years, and she still had the exact same dream.

Every night she'd always be freaked out, even though she dreamed it about a million times.

She never talked to anyone about it, even her husband.

It was just to awful. Melinda got up, and went downstairs. Her husband was at the door, leaving for work.

-"Hey, babe. You don't look well." he told her as he went up and kissed her.

-"I'm worried."

-"About what?"

-"A lot of things. Maria-Annabelle, you, our marriage-,"

-"Hey, hey! Why are you so worried about our marriage?"

-"Who says we need to get divorced? I love you, don't you love me?"

-"Of course I do! But one day, I think the thing that I do will barge in on us and will force us to be apart, married or not. I just have the weirdest feeling…."

Jim hugged her.

-"Melinda, no matter what this world throws at us, I will always bewith you and love you, ok?" he whispered in her ear, then released her then headed to the door.

-"How can you be so sure that everything will be alright?"

-"Because you drive me insane."

-"Love you too." he smiled and left.

Then, the perfect child came down the stairs.

Maria-Annabelle Elizabeth Clancy wasn't exactly perfect, but she's close.

She is well mannered, talented, extremely smart, had many friends, and many more things. A lot of people say that she should be on magazine covers for her looks, too.

But, she is not perfect, she has her own flaws.

A very bad relationship with her father is one of them.

-"Hello, mommy!" she said as she planted a kiss on her mother's cheek.

-"Morning, my angel. How did you sleep?"

-"I had the most wonderful dreams."

-"I wish I could say the same thing." Melinda muttered as she begun to make pancakes for her and Maria.

-"Did you sleep well, mommy?" she turned around and looked her daughter in the eye.

-"Maria-Annabelle, what do I answer you every time you ask me that question?" Maria looked down at the kitchen counter.

-"You always respond that you do not have a good night's rest, because of these dreams you receive, every night since you came home from the hospital, ten years ago."

-"Good girl." Melinda returned to the pancakes and Maria sat on one of the bar stools.

-"Mommy, what are these dreams you have? You never tell me!"

-"Because, I already told you, baby girl, that they are too awful to talk about."

-"I can handle it! I'm ten, mommy!"

-"I know, honey. But mommy doesn't want anyone to know about my dreams, ok?"

-"Alright, but this will eat you up inside."

Melinda laughed.

-"You sound like an adult at times when you speak. It's cute."

-"No, I don't, I still call you mommy."

-"Only when your friends aren't here."

Maria-Annabelle rolled her eyes.

-"Well, I need to cover up the fact that my parents treat me like a baby."

-"Now, that is your father's fault. Not mine."

-"Your correct, I'm sorry, my mistake."

Melinda smiled at her daughter as she brought her pancakes.

Melinda grabbed some for herself and sat down.

-"Mommy, I want to go to a party on Saturday. May I go?"

-"Who's party is it?"

-"Ashley's. Mommy, I need to go, I'm her best friend."

-"Sure you can go. No problem."

-"But what about dad? He never lets me go to punish me for fun."

-"Sweetie, let me handle him. You know that he doesn't punish you 'for fun'. You're always rude to him, so he's allowed to punish you. But… you are a good little girl to mommy so I'm allowed to stop those punishments from happening. Once in awhile." she blinked at her daughter and a smirk spread across Maria-Annabelle's face.

-"I love you mommy!"

-"I love you too. Now, you may go upstairs and play, mommy will clean up."

Maria hugged Melinda and jumped off the bar stool and went upstairs.

Melinda smiled.

Then she had a flashback …

-"Melinda, I'm not sure you're ready to hold her yet."

Melinda frowned at Jim.

-"Yes I am! Jim, I know that I just came out of a coma because of child birth, but it doesn't mean I'm not strong enough to hold her!"

-"Melinda…."

-"Ugh, give her to me." they were in the hospital, ten years ago, and Melinda just came out of a coma the day before.

Jim handed Maria-Annabelle to Melinda.

-"You realize that this is the first time I hold her, right?" Jim nodded.

About twenty minutes passed and Jim didn't say a word.

-"Jim, what's wrong?"

-"It has been just very difficult. First, it takes us about a year to conceive her. Then, you go into labour two days before Christmas, right after she comes out you slip into a coma. There was a huge chance that you wouldn't make it. For the past four weeks, I looked at our daughter wondering if she would be the only part of you I have left, and if she would grow up without a mother. Do you know how painful it was?"

-"Jim, I'm sure it was difficult. But, everything will be fine."

-"But, what if Gabriel tracks us down, Mel? Then, we are screwed! He might try and kill us all!"

-"Jim, please, we need to stay positive."

-"You're right… but Mel, do you think that she should know about Gabriel and everything when she gets older?"

Mel shook her head.

-"No, it is not a good idea for her to know....." she paused.

-"...But what if she finds something out? She might get curious and go look for him!"

-"Mel, if that would happen, she would be by our sides 24/7. I will not let them meet. No matter what."

-"You're right. She will never know about Gabriel."

Then, Melinda was back.

Suddenly, she had the urge to go riding, to get away from home.

-"Maria-Annabelle! How would you like to come to the barn with me?"

-"Ok!" her daughter yelled back from upstairs.

-"Well, get your riding gear on! We'll leave at nine!"

-"Alright, mommy!" then, after she cleaned the kitchen, Melinda went up the spiral staircase to the second floor.

Melinda sighed in happiness, she loved her home. It was an ancient home too, it was built in the eighteen hundreds. It used to be the home of a rich man, back then. But, it was a fixer-upper, so Melinda and Jim got it really cheap, and renovated it, a lot, so it was worth loads now. Its not, a mansion, but its big enough, and everyone in the town loved and adored their home. Melinda took a shower, then got dressed in her riding clothes. Once she was ready to go, around nine, Melinda knocked on her daughter's door, and went in.

-"Hey, mommy!"

-"Hey, sweetheart, ready to go?"

-"Yes, mommy, I'm ready!"

-"Ok, then!" they went downstairs and put their boots and jackets on then Melinda put the alarm on and locked the door.

Then, they went to Mel's jeep, then got in then they drove to the barn.

The barn was just a few minutes away, it was just a bit out of town.

Melinda and Maria both own horses, and board them at this barn, named Carleton Place Riding academy.

It is a really fancy and expensive barn.

During lessons, they even need to wear uniforms.

But, unfortunately, it was the only barn for miles.

Oh well, Melinda didn't too much, since that service was great and the horses were treated well.

Finally, they drove up the perfectly paved driveway, surrounded by white picket fencing, and horses were grazing in the fields.

Melinda looked at her daughter, and Maria's blue eyes were sparkling.

Melinda smiled and looked back on the road.

She parked in the mini parking lot and then they got out and headed to Barn 3, where their horses were.

As they entered, horses nickered in greeting.

Then, they walked over to Clancy's Storm 'Stormy' and Melinda's Graceful 'Grace'.

About twenty minutes later, their horses were tacked up and they were already on the trails.

They were just having fun.

Around noon, they were by the lake, having lunch.

Then, they needed to head back because Mel needed to be by the hospital for a shift by 2:30. They got back by 1:30, and to their surprise, Jim was waiting for them at the beginning of the trails.

-"Jim, what are you doing here?"

-"I went back to the house and you two weren't there. I called your cells, and they were turned off. I was worried, and begun looking for you two."

-"Aww, you are just too sweet." Melinda told him, and he smiled.

Maria rolled her eyes in disgust.

Then, she cantered past Melinda and Jim, and then by accident jumped over the pleasure riding arena fence.

-"Maria-Annabelle! Stop!" Jim yelled, but then, Stormy begun going crazy.

Melinda and Jim watched in horror as their daughter got thrown off of Stormy.

Then, a ghost appeared next to Maria-Annabelle, who was still on the ground.

-"The end is nearer." then the ghost disappeared.


	2. Painful Memories and Fights

**A/N: Before you read, I need to explain something. Melinda and Jim had another baby when Maria-Annabelle was five. His name was Morgan Daniel Clancy, and he died at seven months near christmas. He died when Maria and him were with their nanny, and Melinda and Jim didn't know but the nanny was an alcoholic. The nanny, Heather, brought Maria and Morgan to a bar, and was driving them back to the house, drunk. They got into a car crash, and Morgan and the nanny both died, but Maria somehow survivied. She really feels guilty about it. Anyways, enjoy chapter 2 guys!**

**~Chapter Two~**

Jim climbed over the fence and Mel jumped over with Grace.

Jim ran over to Maria-Annabelle, who was now off of the ground.

-"Maria-Annabelle!" he yelled as he put his hands on her shoulders.

-"Maria-Annabelle, are you ok can you hear me? Maria-Annabelle!"

-"YES I CAN HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR!" she yelled, pushing Jim away and grabbing her horse who didn't move an inch since she bucked her off.

-"Maria-Annabelle, if you don't stop right now, I swear to god that horse will be gone by tomorrow."

-"Oh, yeah?" Maria-Annabelle sneered, turning around to face him.

-"Oh, yeah, now get back here."

-"Jim… leave her alone." Jim turned around to face Melinda.

-"Melinda, can you stop letting her get her way? FOR ONCE?"

-"Jim, you have no right to yell at me, or her. Besides, my name is on Stormy's papers. So it would be my choice to sell Stormy or not." an evil grin spread across Maria-Annabelle's face.

-"Melinda, c'mon-,"

-"and I wont hear off it."

Jim looked at her in shock then stormed off.

Then, Maria-Annabelle happily got back on and begun jumping Stormy.

As she was doing this, Melinda had another flashback… about the night that Melinda and Maria left Jim, after an accident that killed Melinda and Jim's other baby, Morgan Daniel Clancy.

-"Jim, you need to understand why I want to do this-,"

-"MELINDA, IF YOU WANT TO MOVE AWAY, GO ALONE, BECAUSE I WONT BE JOINING YOU!"

-"Jim, our baby just died, and I don't want Maria-Annabelle to feel this guilt anymore."they were in their bedroom, after Christmas, a few weeks after the accident, Maria-Annabelle was six, just came home from the hospital.

Jim took another gulp of his beer.

-"No, Melinda, I'm not taking my baby girl out of this town. I think it would hurt her even more."

-"Jim, no, it would be good for her."

-"Melinda, do you want to try again?"

-"THAT is your only answer? No, it would hurt to much! What if we lost the next baby too? What would happen then? First, I miscarried a baby before Maria-Annabelle, then Morgan? I think we'd all be depressed!"

-"Dammit, Melinda! The first baby was your fault! You didn't even tell me that you were pregnant, just, 'it's a little weight, don't worry' then, five months along, you go riding, fall off, then the doctors told me you miscarried. How do you think that made me feel?"

-"I have no idea."

-"Well, Melinda, it doesn't really matter now, since you don't care about what I think!" there was a pause.

-"Fine, I'm moving, but I'm bringing my baby with me!" then, Melinda got off the bed and stormed out of the room, went down the hallway to Maria-Annabelle's room.

-"Melinda, you are not taking her away! She's my baby, too!"

-"Oh, yeah?"

-"Yes, and I'll take you to court!"

-"Alright! We'll see who wins!" then Melinda opened her daughter's door.

Maria-Annabelle wasn't there.

They begun looking for her.

When they were in Morgan's nursery, Jim looked out the window, and he spotted Maria-Annabelle out in the yard.

Then, they hurried out in the backyard.

Maria-Annabelle was sitting on a bench near the in ground pool, back facing them.

-"Maria-Annabelle! Princess, what are you doing out here? It's snowing!" Jim called, but Maria didn't answer him.

He called out her name again, but she still wouldn't answer.

Then, Jim ran over to Maria-Annabelle.

He kneeled down in front of her.

Maria-Annabelle was crying.

-"Sweetie, what are you doing out here?" she didn't answer again, tears just kept on falling down her cheeks.

-"Baby, you need to talk to daddy. Are you upset that mommy and daddy are yelling?"

Maria-Annabelle just sniffed.

Melinda was watching from inside.

Maria-Annabelle is a daddy's girl; he could talk her in to come inside better than she could.

-"Maria-Annabelle Elizabeth Clancy, answer me." then, Maria-Annabelle stood up, angrily.

-"LEAVE ME ALONE! YOUR NOT MY FATHER ANYMORE, AND I HATE YOU!" then, she just regretted what she just told him.

-"Well, in that case, Maria-Annabelle, you're not my daughter anymore and I hate you as well." then, without any regrets, he got up and left her there.

Maria-Annabelle just stood there, amazed that he didn't regret saying it.

She stood there, crying, with her mouth hanging open.

Melinda, who heard every single word, was amazed, too.

Her sweet husband, who loved his daughter more than anything in the world, just said those things and just walked away.

Then, Melinda ran past Jim, and ran to Maria-Annabelle, and gave her a huge, bear hug,

They hugged for awhile, both crying.

Then, Melinda carried Maria-Annabelle inside.

After she packed Maria-Annabelle's things, she went into her bedroom and started packing her own.

Jim was there, drinking beer.

-"What do you think your doing?" he asked her.

-"I'm leaving you. I'm taking Maria-Annabelle with me, since you hate her so much, and she's not your daughter anymore."

-"Oh, Melinda, c'mon, I just said that to make her come inside."

-"Wow, you're really drunk. Talk to me when your sober. I'll be back next week to get the rest of our things."

-"Where are you going?"

-"Grandview. There's a job there, and I'm taking it."

-"Melinda, this isn't over. I'll get back at you, and I'll take her away from you."

-"Wow. You really don't love your daughter, do you?" then, grabbing the rest of the suitcases, she went outside and begun packing her Saturn.

Maria-Annabelle was already there, wanting to be far away for Jim as possible.

After the car was loaded, Melinda went back inside to grab the passports, and she made Jim write a note allowing her to take their daughter out of the country, then she went back out to the Saturn, got in, then they drove away.

Melinda was back.

That was the incident that tore Maria-Annabelle and Jim apart.

Now, he really regrets saying those things, since she puts him through hell.

But, he learned to live with it.

After Maria-Annabelle was done riding, they went home, and Melinda got ready for her shift.

She got home around ten that night.

Jim was waiting for her in bed.

-"Hey, babe, how did the shift go?"

-"Oh, very tiring. How was Maria-Annabelle?"

Jim silently laughed.

-"She finally gave me a brake after you two got home, she was quiet all day. I even managed to give her a bath and put her to bed around nine."

-"Wow, it must be all the riding."

-"Yes, come here." Melinda laid beside him, and Jim begun kissing her.

-"Uh… Jim… when is your next shift?"

-"I need to leave in a few minutes. I'll be back around four, though." then, Jim got up and changed into his shift clothes.

Then, he grabbed his bag, then kissed her again, then he left. Melinda, upset, changed into pyjamas.

Then, all of a sudden, Maria-Annabelle came in, all exited.

-"Finally! God, I thought he'd never leave!" then, she sat on the bed.

-"Aren't you suppose to be in bed, Maria-Annabelle?" Melinda asked, trying to hide her laughter.

-"Yeah… I guess… but I'm hyper."

-"How? Your father told me that you were calm all day, and I know that he doesn't give you sweets."

-"Mommy, you know that I'm a good actress!"

Melinda rolled her eyes.

-"Yes, I do. What's up?"

-"I- I was in the pantry today, dad asked me to get a jar of sauce, and I dropped it, and then, it rolled underneath a shelf. I noticed a trap door underneath it! So, I took out the shelf and I opened it. I was about to see what was inside, but dad was about to come in-,"

-"Maria-Annabelle, can't we discuss this in the morning? Mommy needs her sleep."

-"But-,"

-"You need sleep too. Now, good night." Maria frowned, but then she smiled and kissed her mother on the forehead, and left.

Melinda smiled, and walked to the window.

A moving van was across the street.

**A/N: I know its really dumb the way that Maria-Annabelle hates Jim, but its the best I could come up with :P Next chapter Ill introduce the creepy new neighbours.**

**As always, please review, and happy valentines day **

**Emily**


	3. Creepy Neighbors and suspisions

**A/N: ok, b4 you read this, just to let you know, Melinda's nice to M-A for a specific reason, so don't be in shock when you read how nice Mel is to her :) it will say why soon, if you keep reading ;) **

**~Chapter Three~**

Melinda woke up sweating, as usual, the next morning.

It was 5:00 AM, and she needed to leave for her shift by six.

Jim was sleeping, next to her.

She smiled and got up.

A few hours later, around nine, Maria-Annabelle and Jim went over to the new neighbours across the street to say hello, and bring a welcome gift.

Jim and and Maria went up the front steps and wrung the doorbell.

-"Remember, Maria-Annabelle, be polite."

-"Oh, I'm polite, just not with you." she replied.

Jim rolled his eyes.

Then, the door creaked open, and a woman who is tall with blonde hair and green eyes was pocking her head out.

-"Yes? What do you want?" the woman replied, her voice trembling.

-"Uh… I'm Jim Clancy, and this is my daughter, Maria-Annabelle Clancy." he put a hand on Maria's shoulder but she shrugged it off.

-"And?" replied the woman.

-"Well… we live across the street, and we just came by to say hello, and to bring you a bottle of wine."

there was an uncomfortable silence.

-"Well, that's very thoughtful of you but… we don't except gifts from anyone. Take it back with you. Have a nice day." then, she slammed the door in their faces.

They stood there, in shock, then they turned around and began walking back home.

There was a silence, until Maria-Annabelle broke it.

-"And you tell me to be polite! Ha!" exclaimed Maria-Annabelle, and Jim rolled his eyes again, and she stormed forward.

-"Maria-Annabelle, see, you aren't being polite there. I personally think me and your mother should send you and go see someone."

Maria-Annabelle froze.

-"I SHOULD GO SEE SOMEONE, DID I HEAR THAT CORRECTLY?" she yelled, turning to face him.

-"YES, YOU DID!"

-"Well, I'm not the one who yelled at a six year old and just walked away with no regrets."

-"Oh, Maria-Annabelle, not again!"

-"Don't you feel any pain saying those things?"

-"Yes, I do, because now you torture me all the time!"

Maria's fists clenched.

-"Don't you know how much they affected me?"

-"I was only talking back to you; besides, you said the same things."

- "Well, you talked back to me, and you were drunk. I could smell the alcohol on your breath. I thought you were going to hurt me."

-"I was having a rough night. I didn't hurt you, I just said words."

-"Words that affected me a lot." then, she ran into the house.

Jim, frustrated, followed.

As he came into the house, he slammed the door behind him and went upstairs to the second floor.

He went up to Maria-Annabelle's door and gently knocked.

-"Maria-Annabelle, may I come in?"

silence.

He tried to open it, but Maria-Annabelle locked it.

-"Go away! I never want to see you again!"

-"Well, that's pretty difficult, since we live underneath the same roof."

-"GO AWAY!" she yelled, then she came over and kicked the door.

-"Maria-Annabelle, you're grounded. Don't come out of that room until I say so!" then, he turned and stormed into his own room, and slammed the door shut.

Maria-Annabelle was on her laptop, talking to her best friend on msn.

They planned that she'd sneak out for the day.

So, Maria-Annabelle grabbed a few of her things, climbed out the window, walked down the balcony roof, then climbed down the balcony pole.

Then, she jumped onto the grass and made a run for it.

Awhile later, her and her best friend Ashley were coming back from a trail ride, when a horse trailer pulled up.

They curiously watched, looking to see who the new owners were.

To Maria-Annabelle's surprise, it was the woman from the past morning, along with her husband and daughter.

The stable hands came and opened the trailer, revealing two horses, then unloaded them, and took them away.

The woman spotted Maria-Annabelle and the family walked over to them.

-"Are you that Clancy kid?"

Maria nodded uncomfortably.

-"Oh ok. This is my husband Grant and my daughter Twyla. Well, bye."

then, they left in a hurry.

-"Wow, weird much." Ashley muttered.

-"I know. They moved in at the middle of the night. And, 'Twyla'? I never heard of such a name."

-"Gosh, and the lady totally ignored me too."

-"I know, and we don't even know her name yet. Gosh, I wonder why they are so weird, and rude. I'm going to try and investigate them."

-"Well, good luck on that." they rode for awhile and then, Ashley's stepmother came and picked them up.

They hung out at Ashley's for awhile, then, Maria-Annabelle walked home.

She noticed that her father's truck was gone, so she went through the front , her mother was home.

"Maria-Annabelle! Oh my god, do you know how worried me and your father were?!" then, Melinda came over and hugged her.

Maria-Annabelle hugged her back.

-"How did you know I was gone?"

-"I went through the bathroom to your room, and I looked around, then your father went out looking for you."

-"Well, he wasted his time."

Melinda let her go.

-"Maria-Annabelle, your father grounded you, and you took off."

-"Who cares. He grounded me for a stupid reason, mommy."

-"Maria-Annabelle, please, don't say it's 'stupid'. If your father grounded you, it must be for a good reason."

-"No, it isn't! I just yelled at him and kicked my door! He doesn't need to ground me just for that!"

-"I guess your right."

-"So, am I still grounded, mommy?"

Melinda sighed.

-"No, I guess not, since the reason isn't that good. I'll let you off the hook."

Maria-Annabelle grinned.

-"Just this once." Maria-Annabelle hugged her mother.

-"Thank you mommy! I love you mommy!"

-"You're lucky I love you too." Melinda muttered, rolling her eyes.

Then, Jim came in. Maria-Annabelle hid behind Melinda.

-"Sorry, honey, still no sign of her." then, he noticed Maria-Annabelle behind her.

Then, he went over and grabbed Maria-Annabelle by the arm.

-"Where the hell have you been, Maria-Annabelle Elizabeth?"

-"Out getting exercise so I wont get overweight and die of a heart attack, since you ground me all the time!" she mused, Melinda tried to conceal her laughter.

-"Well, I'll get you a treadmill then." then, he stormed upstairs.

Then, Melinda laughed.

-"Gosh, ha ha, that was rude, but funny. Good job, kiddo."

Maria-Annabelle smiled, then hugged her mother once more.

Then, Jim came down the stairs, carrying his work bag.

-"Maria-Annabelle, when I get back, you'll be in huge s**t, if I were you, I'd behave."

-"Ooh, I'm so afraid, ooh, I'm going to be in s**t. I think you should threaten me better then that, because I don't scare easily." then, she smirked.

Jim growled.

-"Whatever." then, he kissed Mel goodbye and left.

Silence.

-"Oh, I get it! Your not afraid of s**t! He he, very funny. Want pizza for dinner?"

-"Mommy, I thought you and daddy said that I'm not allowed to have pizza because of the cheese."

-"Oh well. I'm just in a good mood, and I want to spoil my baby."

Awhile later, they were in the living room, eating pizza, chips and candy, and drinking soda, watching the Twilight Movie.

-"Ooh, Edward is hot, mommy."

-"I know sweetie, but that was a long time ago. He's older now."

-"I know that!" Maria threw a tomato at Mel.

-"Hey!" Melinda giggled.

They were silent for awhile.

-"Mommy, did you meet the new neighbours yet?"

-"No. Why?"

-"Well, mommy, they are so weird." she explained to her mother everything.

-"Wow… I'm amazed. They do sound weird."

-"Yeah, I want to find out more about them."

-"I could help with that, baby."

-"No! I can do it by myself! I'm not a baby, mommy!"

-"Yes, you are."

-"In your dreams!"

-"Aww man!" then, Melinda grabbed Maria-Annabelle and begun tickling her.

Maria-Annabelle laughed and cried.

They were having fun.

But across the street, the new family, not so much.

The woman was looking out the front window, looking at the Clancy house.

Her husband, Grant, joined her with mugs of coffee.

-"here you go, Piper." he handed her a mug.

-"Thanks." she muttered, taking the mug.

-"Well, did you find out anything?"

-"Just that something horrible lies beneath their home."

-"Did they tell you what it is?"

-"No, just that it's awful."

-"Do you think that he's hiding there? Do you want me to go call the moving service? Or go grab Twyla and leave right away?"

-"No, Grant, I want to investigate the Clancys first, before we take off. There is just something eerie about them."

-"Ok, whatever you want." then, he went upstairs.

-"Yes, I'll find out what you're hiding, Clancys, then you'll pay."


	4. Old Friends and more Memories

**A/N: Ok, in this chapter, I added Rick and Delia. I'm a bit abusive againts Delia, but its for comedy porpuses for the site I originally posted this on. Enjoy :)**

**~Chapter Four~**

-"NO!" Melinda yelled, sitting up.

Jim grabbed her.

They were both in bed, and Melinda just had her usual dream.

-"Mel! Melinda, what is it? What happened honey?"

Melinda begun crying.

-"Nothing, just go back to sleep."

-"I can't go back to sleep until I know what's wrong."

Melinda was silent.

-"Melinda, speak to me. Every night, I need to watch you suffer from whatever is going on in your head."

Melinda was about to get up, but Jim pulled her back down.

-"Mel, please, I'm begging you. Talk to me, or I'll send you to a shrink."

- "Jim, this is a dream I don't care to talk about to anyone."

-"Why?"

-"Jim, it's just so awful. It seams to become more realistic, like, if its going to happen or something."

-"Baby, you can't just keep this all inside. If it's that bad, at least talk to your precious daughter." the last sentence, he begun raising his voice.

-"Jim, why are you so mad all of a sudden? And, no, I will absolutely not tell her about these dreams, especially since they revolve around her."

-"Melinda, is that why you never take my side on anything about her? Because… you think something will happen to Maria-Annabelle?"

Melinda slowly nodded.

-"It's part of the reason, anyways."

-"Alright." then, he hugged her.

He could feel her tears running down his back.

-"I love you so much, Jim Clancy, and I don't know how I would live without you."

Jim begun crying too.

-"You told me the same thing when I proposed, the second time."

-"I know…."

then she had another flashback…

_It was nearly a year ago, and Jim and Mel were sitting in her kitchen in Grandview. _

_Maria-Annabelle was back in Carleton Place, being taken cared of by Faith for a few days. _

_Jim told everyone he was visiting a cousin in Philadelphia, which was a lie. _

_He came to Grandview to visit Mel, who was presently his girlfriend. _

_A few months back, Jim came to Grandview on business. _

_They ran into each other, and old feelings came back, despite the nasty divorce they had a few years ago. _

_So, Jim travelled back and forth for the past few months spending long weekends with Mel. _

_They both knew it was wrong, but they couldn't help themselves. _

_-"So Jim… how is Maria-Annabelle doing?" _

_-"Oh, great, I guess. She's still driving me insane, though." _

_-"Just give her time, Jim, she'll forgive you." _

_-"I hope so. The years that I had her so far were just brutal." _

_The custody arrangement for Maria-Annabelle was one year at Mel's, one year at Jim's. _

_it seamed fair, since they both wanted Maria, and also Carleton Place is in Canada, and Grandview is in the USA. _

_It was easier for her. _

_But, now, for Jim and Mel, not so much. -_

_"Jim, what are we going to do? We both want to be with each other…." _

_-"I might have a good idea." _

_-"Good, but please, don't let it be anything selfish and stupid." then, Jim reached into his pocket, pulled out a small leather case, knelt down on one knee, then opened the case. _

_It revealed a new wedding ring with a bigger rock. _

_-"Oh, my god, Jim, no, that wasn't what I was looking for. But, good example, though." _

_Jim just rested in the same position, mortified. _

_-"You want wine?" she asked him, opening a bottle of wine. _

_Jim got up and walked over to her, frowning. _

_-"Ooh, I guess not." _

_Jim just looked even angrier. _

_-"Oh, ok, I'll pour you a glass, gosh." then, Jim hit a fist against the kitchen counter. _

_-"Tell me what you want Jim, I can't guess." _

_-"MELINDA! STOP BEING SO DUMB!" _

_-"Was I being dumb?" she asked, in shock. _

_-"Ooh, yes I think you were. Why wont you marry me?" she was silent for a moment. _

_-"Jim, the timing doesn't seem right. Besides, what would Maria-Annabelle think?" _

_-"I don't care what the hell she would think! I find it's a great idea! Besides, I love you so much, and I never stopped loving you." _

_-"I never stopped loving you too." _

_-"Well, c'mon, marry me." he took her hand. _

_-"I promise you I'll make it better this time." then, Melinda pushed him against a wall and begun kissing him. _

_-"Yes, I'll marry you. I love you so much, Jim Clancy, and I don't know how I would live without you." she told him between kisses. _

_Then, they went upstairs…._

Then, Mel was back.

She let go of Jim.

-"Hey, Jim… want to take a shower with me before you go to work?"

-"Sure… but don't you have a shift today?"

-"No, I got the day off."

-"Oh, right."

-"When will you be done yours?"

-"Um… around two. Why?"

-"I was hoping to spend time with you, like go for a hike, or go out for dinner or something. We never have time alone."

Jim smiled.

"I'd love that very much." then they took a shower, and Jim left for his shift.

It was around six, and Melinda snuck into Maria-Annabelle's room.

She wasn't in bed.

Worry begun to rise in Melinda.

-"Maria-Annabelle Elizabeth Clancy! Where the hell are you?" she walked around the room and looked out the window.

Maria-Annabelle was out there, in her housecoat and slippers, hugging someone.

Melinda couldn't believe who.

She screamed, then scrambled out of the room to the stairs.

She went down them, the ran out the front door

-"RICK!" she screamed at the tall blonde man who was hugging her daughter.

-"Oh, hey, Mel!"

-"What the hell are you doing here?!"

Rick let go of Maria.

-"Is that the way you greet your guests?"

-"No not really!" he smiled.

-"Oh well. Come here and give me a hug."

she jumped off the porch and ran into his arms.

-"Oh, Rick, I've missed you so much! My life isn't the same without you!"

-"Mine isn't either."

Mel and Rick met at University many years ago, while she was studying to be a doctor and he was studying to become a college professor.

When they met the second week of their first year, they were both at the library researching both on the occult and such.

He was for fun, and she, because of a ghost problem.

They clicked instantly, mostly because they have the same interests.

They tried dating for awhile, but they just agreed to be best friends at the end of that school year.

After they both graduated, they both moved to Grandview, and Mel met Jim and Rick met Kate.

Mel and Jim got married and left town, and Rick wed Kate, and they had a son, Austin.

But, Kate died, and Austin is now eighteen and gone off to school.

Mel and Rick still keep in touch constantly, but it still isn't the same.

So, Rick is pretty lonely.

It doesn't surprise Mel when he tells her about the stunts he does, including what he brought with him this time.

-"HEY RICK! DON'T LEAVE ME IN HERE!" they heard someone yell.

-"Who was that!?" Mel exclaimed.

-"Oh, it's just Delia."

-"Who is she? Another chick you're sleeping with?" Mel asked.

-"Oh, GOD no! She's just a mother of a student that works at Rockland."

-"Where is she? Why is she here?"

-"She's in my car; I brought her with me because Delia's blind, and poor. She can barely afford the apartment she's living in now. She's lucky she's not on the streets yet."

-"And?"

-"Well, she wasn't always blind. She had a husband, and her and him were at a bank machine when a bunch of guys came and shot her husband, then attacked her. They took out her eyes then mocked her."

-"Oh, how sad."

-"So, now that she's blind, she can't get a job, so since her son has a job at the University, we pay him extra for his school and we take care of Delia while he works. Unfortunately, this was my week."

-"Oh, so the blind pig gets a free trip?"

-"Mel, why are you being so mean?"

-"Because from her name, she sounds like a pig."

-"Yeah, true. Anyways, yeah, she gets a free trip."

-"Does she need to stay in my home?"

-"No, we were planning to stay in a hotel."

-"Good, because this isn't a place for hobos to stay."

-"I'm not a hobo!" Rick exclaimed.

-"I'm not calling you a hobo, you idiot."

-"Mommy, stop being so mean! Poor Delia must be a nice person and you didn't even meet yet! Give her some respect!"

-"Ok, sweetie, I'll try. See, when mommy is around Rick, mommy is always like this. Ok?"

Maria nodded, and went inside.

-"So, are you coming in?"

-"Yea, but is Delia allowed too?"

-"I was hoping Rick that we could bring her out then put her in the garage. I don't want any animals in my home. Or, we could just leave her in the car with the window creaked open."

-"Mel, c'mon, stop!"

-"Rick, she's blind. I'm sure she wont tell the difference. I know, because I'm a doctor."

-"A very b**chy doctor, too."

-"Oh, Rick, you know how nice I am."

-"I know you're nice, but try to be nice to Delia, please."

-"Ok." then, they walked up to the car, and Rick opened it, revealing Delia.

-"Rick, where the hell are we? Where's Ned?"

-"You're on my property." answered Melinda.

-"Who the hell are you?" Delia asked.

-"I'm Melinda Gordon-Clancy. You don't know me."

-"Ok, good, because I don't like you."

"Well, you know me now. So, too bad. Now, come inside, I'll fix you up some coffee."

-"Oh, ok." then, Rick handed Delia her stick, and he helped her get out and walk up to the house.

They went inside, and Maria was in the kitchen, eating a bowl of cereal.

She came over.

-"Hello, I'm Maria-Annabelle. May I get you something to eat?"

-"A doughnut from village Java."

-"You're not in Grandview anymore, Delia." Rick answered.

-"But, I want a doughnut."

-"Can I get you one from Starbucks or Tim Hortons? It's all we have here." then, Delia whacked Maria-Annabelle with her stick.

-"THIS ISN'T FAIR! I DESERVE A DOUGHNUT FROM VILLAGE JAVA! DOESN'T ANYONE WANNA GIVE ME SOME RESPECT!?" then, Rick reached into his pocket, and brought out a needle.

He put it in Delia, and she was knocked out.

-"Delia has anger issues because of her husband's murder and all; we need to carry these at all times." Rick explained, and Mel went over to Maria-Annabelle.

-"Oh my god! Baby Angel, are you ok?"

-"Yeah, mommy, I'm fine. I'm going to go get the mail." then, Maria-Annabelle stormed out.

As she was flipping through the mail at the end of the driveway, she noticed a piece of mail that wasn't theirs.

It read: Piper Ezlord.

That was all.

She wondered why it didn't have a correct address, nor returning address.

She then thought that it could belong to the new neighbours.

So, she shyly went over, climbed up the steps, and knocked at the door.

Twyla answered.

-"What do you want?" she asked.

-"I- I got a piece of mail that does not belong to me or my family. Is this yours?" she handed Twyla the letter.

-"It's my moms. Thanks."

-"You're welcome. Good bye." then Maria-Annabelle smiled then headed back home.

Twyla watched her leave.

Piper came behind her, and shut the door.

-"Is she the girl, mother?"

-"Yes, Twyla, she's the one."

-"Are you going to hurt her, mother?"

-"No, not until I find out why. I need to stop this torture." then, Piper went down the hall to her room.

Slammed the door, and looked around the room that was filled with pictures and information on the Clancys.


	5. Baby Talk and Tunnels

**A/N: I added something really different to this chapter. I was trying to be creative ;) and, there's baby talk too :D please review, and enjoy :) BTW, the restaurant Mel and Jim are at, Ive been at b4, since i live near carleton place and Ottawa :)**

**~Chapter Five~**

It was later that day, and Melinda and Jim were at a fancy restaurant, called Moxie's, in Ottawa, at the Bayshore Mall (the city nearby).

Rick and Delia were back at the house, watching Maria-Annabelle, (well, Rick was anyhow).

-"So, how are the garlic fries?"

Jim asked Mel.

-"Oh, my god, they are so good… I never tasted anything like this before. The chicken is great, too. How is your steak?"

-"It's excellent."

-"I can't believe you suggested coming here, though. At this location, in a mall. We could have gone to the one on the other side of the city."

-"I know, but this one is closer to Carleton Place. Besides, we can go shopping later."

-"Jim, for what? It's the beginning of July."

Jim looked down at his food.

-"Well. I was thinking that maybe… we can go…. Um… baby shopping."

Mel let out a little laugh.

-"Jim, I'm not pregnant, and Maria-Annabelle is ten. I don't think we need to buy things for a baby."

-"But, what if we have another one someday?"

-"Jim, I think we're done in the baby department. Until, Maria-Annabelle has a baby, anyhow."

-"But Mel, this is the second time we're married."

-"I know, but it doesn't mean we need to have another kid."

-"But, I want another child."

-"We had Morgan, remember?"

-"I know, but Morgan is dead, Melinda."

-"Jim, listen to me. We aren't exactly young anymore."

-"I don't care about that! I want another baby!"

-"Jim, we are not having a baby. End of discussion!"

luckily, the restaurant wasn't quiet so no one heard their conversation.

After that, they paid the bill, they left right away.

Neither of them said a word on the ride home.

When they got in their home, Jim stormed upstairs right away.

Mel sighed and went into the living room.

Rick and Maria were near the fireplace, playing cards.

-"Hey, Mel! How was dinner?"

-"Awful. Just awful. The food was great, just not the company…"

Rick raised his eyebrows.

-"oh. Ok, fill me in later."

Maria-Annabelle looked confused.

-"Mommy, what is it?"

-"Nothing that is your concern. Now, it is getting late, I think you should go up to bed."

-"But mommy, its only nine!"

-"I know, but its been a long day. At least go up and play until ten or something."

-"Ok mommy. Night Uncle Rick, night mommy." she kissed them both on the cheek and went upstairs.

Then, Mel sat next to Rick on the floor.

-"So, tell me what happened."

-"Me and Jim got into a fight."

-"About what?"

-"Having a baby."

-"Oh, ouch. Tough subject. Who won?"

-"Me, and of course, I'm the one who refused to have one."

-"I figured that."

-"Yeah. So tell me, where is Delia?"

-"I left her at the hotel, I'm sure she's ok."

-"Good. I don't want her here again, after what she did."

-"I'll try. So, is Jim angry? About the fight?"

-"Very. He didn't say a word since the restaurant." she looked down.

-"Rick, am I selfish?" he looked astonished.

"Mel, listen to me. You are not selfish, just because you don't want to have another baby. You already lost one, and at our age, I don't think its necessary to have another one. It would be more difficult on you then when you were younger. Trust me, I know. I have a co-worker, she's 47 and just had twins, and its very stressful on her. She also has two teenagers, and a lazy husband who doesn't want to get a job, so she can't afford to take a break. She had a caesarean too, so she's in pain working. Also, since she had the twins late in life, they may have physical problems later on."

-"Oh my god, I can't do this for sure! God, I feel bad for the woman!"

-"I do too. Listen, I better go, its getting late."

-"Ok, thanks for watching Maria-Annabelle." he got up and headed to the door.

-"Bye, will you be here tomorrow, Rick?"

-"Yes, I will be. I'll be here all month."

-"What about Delia?"

-"She'll be gone by Friday, I promise."

it was Tuesday.

-"Great. You can stay here after she's gone."

she got up and walked to the door, and took his hand in hers.

-"Rick, I need you right now. It's about my dreams. I need your help figuring them out. Because, I feel like whatever it is it's going to happen soon."

-"I thought that you weren't going to talk about them. Ever."

-"Now I think its important, Rick. Really important."

-"Ok, I'll try my best to help you."

-"I'll tell you about them tomorrow."

then, a tear went down her cheek.

Rick hugged her.

-"Mel, its going to be fine. We'll figure whatever your dreams mean soon. Ok?" she nodded and they pulled apart.

Then, he left.

Mel sat in the stairs and broke down in tears.

She wasn't really afraid before, but now it was time to be.

Because she knew that it was close, whatever it was.

Mel and Jim both needed to work the next day, so Rick came to baby-sit Maria-Annabelle.

She was just getting up when he arrived around six.

-"Hey, Uncle Rick. Where are my parents?" she asked him as she was coming down the stairs.

-"Gone to work. Your mom will be back around two, and your father took a double shift so he'll be home around ten tonight."

-"Good. I need your help with something." then, she turned down the hall to the pantry door.

-"oh, no. No, no, no and no. I'm not going to help you bake cookies." she stopped.

-"Who said we were going to bake?"

-"Intuition."

-"We're not going to bake, don't worry."

-"Good, because Austin loved to bake cookies and cakes and such, and since his mother died when he was three, I was the one who needed to help him. I hated it."

-"You could have gotten him an easy bake oven."

-"He never asked for one."

-"Who cares, you could have gotten him one anyways. Where is Austin anyhow?"

-"He's still at Yale, doing a summer program. Why?"

-"I was just wondering, I miss Austin."

-"I do, too. Now, what do you want to do you annoying little girl?" she rolled her eyes.

She then opened the pantry door, and walked inside.

Rick followed.

She then begun taking the things off of the bottom shelf, and then took the shelf off.

Then Rick saw the trap door.

-"oh, my, god. Does your mother know about this?"

-"I told her, but she doesn't care. I want to see where it leads to."

-"It maybe isn't a safe idea, Maria-Annoying Clancy."

-"Oh, Uncle Rick! C'mon, please! I wont be able to sleep ever again not knowing what is down there!"

Rick folded his arms.

-"But what if something happened to you? Your father and maybe your mother too would kill me, since I'd be held responsible!"

-"I promise I'll be fine!"

Rick hesitated.

-"Ok. Fine. If it would make you shut up." then she got up and hugged him.

-"Oh, Uncle Rick! You're the best!"

-"I know, now go upstairs and get ready, while I get supplies." she nodded and left.

They didn't know what they were getting into.

-"Are you ready, Uncle Rick?"

-"Not really, but go ahead, open it." she then opened the trap door, and they looked in it.

There was only a ladder leading into darkness.

-"Ok, Maria-Annabelle, stay close."

-"You tied a rope to connect us to each other, I don't think I can go far."

-"Oh, right. Well, ladies first."

Maria rolled her eyes and begun to climb down.

Rick followed.

It took them awhile to reach the bottom.

Once they did, they turned their flashlights on.

It looked like a hallway, filled with guck like a drain pipe.

It was all mossy and damp, even a bit of water on the floor.

-"Ok, not safe, lets go back!" Rick exclaimed, turning back to the ladder.

Maria yanked him close with the rope

-"Not so fast! We just got here!"

-"Who cares, lets go!"

-"Rick I'm going. With, or without you." she raised her eyebrows.

-"I'm sure that my parents would kill you if they knew that you let me down here alone." then, at that moment, Rick could finally see the evil in his goddaughter.

A chill went down his spine.

-"Ok… I'll come." a smile spread across her innocent face.

-"Good. Now, come on."

they walked through the tunnel in silence.

They finally reached the end of the tunnel, and there was two ways to choose from.

-"Well, where shall we go? Left, or right?"

-"Is there a going backwards option?"

-"Uncle Rick, please, be serious!"

-"Ok, right. It sounds like the right way."

-"Thank you." then, they walked through the tunnel.

It wasn't a very long one, it lead to a set of stairs.

-"Can we go up, please, Uncle Rick?"

-"Yes." then they went up the long set of stairs.

Finally, it reached a door.

-"Here we go…." Maria-Annabelle muttered at she slowly opened the door.

It revealed an unfinished basement.

-"Oh, my god, I wonder where we are."

-"A basement. Somebody else's basement, Rick."

-"I know, but I wonder who it belongs to."

-"Well, lets find out." they went up the stairs and it led to a living room.

To their luck, nobody seamed to be home.

Then, they walked to the big window at the front.

Her house was across the street.

-"Oh, god, we're in the Ezlord house."

-"The new neighbours?"

-"Yes! Gosh, this house is so ugly. You can tell that no one fixed it up in awhile, no wonder it was on the market for a long time."

they walked around.

On the other side of the door, was a tiny kitchen.

Then, past the living room, was a hallway to the bedrooms and such.

They noticed that a lot of the things were still in boxes.

They looked in all the rooms, except Piper and Grant's room.

They were about to open it when the lock of the front door was turning.

-"Oh, god. They're home."

they ran down the hallway, and Rick dropped his flashlight, and into the basement.

He didn't notice what he left behind.

Luckily, the Ezlords were having a hard time with their key, so they had time.

Maria-Annabelle went through the door that led to the tunnels, and closed it behind them.

They both stopped to breathe, then they made their way back to the Clancy house.

They climbed up the long ladder, and into the pantry.

-"Whew, I'm never going down there again." Announced Rick.

-"I am! That was so awesome!"

-"For you, maybe, you devil. I nearly pissed in my pants."

-"Oh, well, I didn't really need to hear that. I'm going to go upstairs and play in my playroom." she untied herself and was about to leave the pantry, but Rick grabbed her arm.

-"Your parents are to never know about this. Do you understand?" she nodded and Rick let her go.

She went upstairs.

Rick then went into the kitchen and opened up a beer from the fridge.

-"Oh, god, what a day." he muttered as he sat down on the sofa in the living room.

Meanwhile, at the Ezlord house, Piper was walking down the hallway when she found a flashlight.

There was a label on it that said 'Melinda G.' on it, and then walked to the front living room window, at looked at the Clancy house.

She then knew that one of her neighbours was there, looking around.


	6. Scary Clues

**A/N: ok, this chapter isnt as interesting as the last, but we find out moe clies about the Ezlords. Enjoy :)**

**~Chapter Six~**

-"Hey, I'm home!" Mel called through the house around two that afternoon.

-"Hey, Mel!" she heard Rick call from the living room.

She walked into the living room.

-"Hey, how was your day with Maria-Annabelle?"

-"Oh… um… interesting."

-"How?" she asked him as she sat down next to him on the sofa.

-"We… baked cookies."

-"Aw, can I have one?"

-"No."

-"Why?"

-"We ate them all, they were so good."

-"Oh. So, did you guys have fun though?"

-"Oh yeah, lots of fun."

-"Your lucky, she doesn't even want to help me make dinner."

-"Oh, because you're a lousy cook, no offence."

-"Oh, that made me feel better."

-"Your welcome. So, did Jim talk to you at all today?"

-"Nope. Not a word."

-"Do you want me to talk to him for you?"

-"Nah, its fine. I'll just let him calm down first, and then I'll tell him my feelings about having another baby. Besides, I think that he only wants another one because Maria-Annabelle is lost to him."

-"You have a point there."

-"Speaking of Maria-Annabelle, where is she? She usually comes down to greet her mommy."

-"She's gone to her friend Ashley's, she left about an hour ago."

-"Oh, well."

-"Well, do you want to tell me about your dreams?"

-"Yes, please."

-"Well?"

-"Ok, at the beginning…."

-"So, did you find out anything at their house, though?"

-"No, Ash, but I was thinking we could try and look them up, or something." they were in Ashley's room, discussing recent events.

-"How, Maria?"

-"We could begin with the internet."

-"Ok, but what if it doesn't work?"

-"See town records, ask the agent that sold them the house, we could do plenty of things."

-"Ok, well, lets go on the internet then." they went on Ashley's computer, and went on to Google, and then typed in "Grant and Piper Ezlord" they went onto every link there was, then they gave up, not finding anything.

-"Well, what do we do now, Maria?"

-"Well, I know the agent that sold them that dump. I know where her office is, we could go there. Can your dad drive us?"

-"I'll go ask."

-"WAIT! Should we call for an appointment first?"

-"Oh, sure. Great idea." they looked through the Yellow Pages (it's a phone book) and found the number.

Maria dialled, and then put the receiver to her ear.

It wrung two times, then someone answered.

-"Hey, Carleton Realty."

-"Hello, my name is Alexi Kendra, I'm twenty seven, and I want to buy a house."

-"Uh… ok… do you want to talk to an agent?"

-"Yes, one by the name of Sonia Fletcher."

-"uh… ok, she isn't busy right now, do you want to talk to her?"

-"Yes, but in person."

-"uh… ok, can you come by right now Mrs. Kendra?"

-"Yes, I can. The quicker, the better."

-"uh… Alright, good bye."

-"Have a lovely day. Good bye." then, she hung up.

Then, they burst out laughing.

-"Wow, you really sounded twenty seven, Maria."

-"Well, I am a good actress. So, go ask your dad if he can drive us! And please, make up a lie!"

Ashley went downstairs and came back a minute later.

-"it's a go. C'mon, get your things." ten minutes later, they were in front of Carleton Realty.

-"My dad is going to be in the sports shop next door, so I think we'll be here for awhile. You know how much he loves sport shops." they giggled, then went inside.

They walked up to the front desk.

The secretary looked up.

She looked like she was in her twenties, and had purple hair and piercing all over her face.

She also has cuts so she's emo.

-"Uh… yes?"

-"We are here to see Sonia Fletcher. I'm Alexi, and this is my sister Leah."

-"Uh… how old are you?"

-"We're both twenty seven."

-"Uh… then how come you look like kids?"

-"Didn't you ever hear of midgets before?"

-"Uh… yes. Uh… why are you wearing kids clothes?"

-"We can't wear anything else, we're too short."

-"Uh… ok, go take a seat, Sonia will be out in a moment."

-"Thank you, and I suggest you go take manner classes, before this business is ruined by your rude attitude." then, they walked away quickly.

They took their seats in the waiting room.

A minute later, Sonia appeared.

She looked at them oddly.

-"Did one of you seen a Alexi and Leah Kendra?"

-"We are Alexi and Leah." responded Ashley, running a hand through her long blonde hair.

Sonia raised her eyebrows.

-"Is this a joke?"

-"No."

-"Follow me then." they got up and followed Sonia to her office.

Once they got there, they sat down on the guest chairs and Sonia sat at her desk.

There was a silence.

-"You, the one with the long curly brown hair, I think I seen you before."

Maria-Annabelle shrugged.

-"Who are you two, really?"

-"I'm Maria-Annabelle Clancy, and this my best friend Ashley Redden."

-"Oh, yes, you live on Queen Elizabeth Street, don't you?"

Maria nodded.

-"You live in that huge house that was fixed up, in front of the Ezlord place, eh?"

she nodded again.

-"You came up to me, giving me tips to sell the house."

-"Did they work?"

-"I guess, thanks. So, what are you two doing here?"

-"We came to get information on the Ezlords."

-"Why?"

-"It's hard to explain, but I can tell you that something is wrong."

-"I'm sorry, but I can't give any personal information to you."

-"We understand."

-"I'm sorry, girls."

"But… can I tell you something?" Maria asked.

Sonia nodded.

-"We can't get info, anywhere. You, are our only link to finding out things about them. They can be dangerous people, and me, who lives across the street, doesn't know, because who knows what goes on behind closed doors. I'm only ten, and she just turned eleven last week. We're too young to go around asking people for info. We can't find nice enough people like you who'd be willing to be nice to two young girls, and help them be safe." a cute look developed on Maria's beautiful face.

For an adult, it was hard to resist.

-"Fine, I'll give you some information, but please, keep it to yourselves."

-"Ok, we promise!"

-"Alright, I'll give you this folder with every bit I have. It's not a lot, but it's a start." she told them as she took out a folder from her desk.

She handed it to Maria-Annabelle.

-"We both solemnly swear that nothing out of this folder will be showed to anyone but us. If so, we will leave your good name out of it."

Sonia raised her eyebrows.

Maria-Annabelle was something else.

-"Well, have a good day girls."

-"Bye! Thank you!" Ashley called as they left the office.

They were just coming into the waiting area when they noticed two particular people: Jim Clancy and Piper Ezlord.

Piper noticed them first, gave them a suspicious look and got up and left the building.

Ashley was trying to hurry paralyzed Maria out, but it was too late. Jim looked up from the sports magazine to see his daughter with her best friend.

He got up in shock.

-"Maria-Annabelle Clancy, what the hell are you doing here?"

-"I can ask you the same question." she responded, and both her and Ashley folded their arms.

-"That isn't important! Why are you here?"

-"Oh, um, Mr. Clancy, my dad is at the sports shop next door, um we came with him to get out of the house, and we came here, to look at the houses for sale." Ashley answered.

-"Ok…." then, Ashley's dad came in.

-"Ash! Maria, ready to go? Oh, hey, Jim! What are you doing here?"

-"No particular reason. Is it ok if I bring my daughter home with me, I need to talk to her." then he looked down at Maria-Annabelle, frowning.

-"Oh, sure dude, she's yours anyhow. Well, see you guys later. Come on, Ash, lets go."

-"Bye Maria, Mr. Clancy." then they left.

Then, Jim grabbed Maria-Annabelle's arm, and dragged her out.

Piper was watching from behind a plant.

When Maria-Annabelle arrived home, Rick and Mel were eating dinner.

Rick was doing the weirdest faces while Melinda laughed, nearly choking on her food, and falling out of her chair.

Maria walked in the dinning room, which was on the right side of the house, at the back, just behind the kitchen.

- "Hey baby! How was your day?"

-"Ok, I guess." she told her mom, hiding the folder behind her back.

Then, she sat down on the opposite side of the table, helping herself to some veggie lasagne, Caesar salad and garlic bread.

-"Well, how was Ashley's?"

-"Fun."

-"What did you do?"

-"We went to the Realty Office, to look at some houses while her dad was in the sports shop."

-"Oh, ok… did Mr. Redden drive you home or did you walk?"

-"Neither. Dad was in the Realty office and he drove me home."

Melinda spit her wine out.

-"WHAT?"

-"I said-,"

-"No, I heard what you said, but WHAT THE HELL WAS HE DOING THERE?"

-"I asked, but he said it wasn't important."

-"Oh, my god, I'll need to have a chat with him when he gets in."

-"Ok, mommy." then, they ate dinner in silence.

Afterwards, Maria-Annabelle went up to her room.

She sat down at her desk and begun looking at the folder.

There wasn't much, besides the realty work, only one thing.

A news paper article, on Grant.

The headline was: 'Man kills four, then goes crazy, and escapes facility'. Maria gasped, and read the article.

It said that Grant killed his mother, father, best friend and half sister.

Then, in jail, he went crazy, and they sent him to a mental hospital.

Then, he escaped.

By the end of it, she dropped the paper on the floor and made her way to her window.

She looked across the street, wondering if she could really be in danger.

Meanwhile, at the Ezlord house…

Grant and Piper were sitting in their bedroom, looking at the pictures of the Clancys all over the walls and ceiling.

-"Do you think that we should do more then spy on them, like, try and befriends with them, for example? The girl is Twyla's age, they could get along, well. Meanwhile, we can talk to the girl's parents."

Grant didn't answer her.

She looked at him, and he was holding a gun in his hand.

-"Oh, Grant, put that down."

-"Piper, I cant do this anymore. The running around, tracking the Clancys and all, maybe we should turn ourselves in." he begun rocking back and forth.

-"Grant, that, we will never do. After we get rid of that Clancy girl, we'll get our lives back, don't worry." she patted his back.

-"We will get our revenge."


End file.
